Margaret Urquhart became president of Winston-Salem-based Lowe's Food Stores, Inc., in 1995. One of her goals is to make the 57-store chain more customer friendly - for example, by filling, for a fee, call-ahead grocery orders.

Anthony Civello began working as a pharmacist for the Thrift Drug Co. in 1965, and rose to the executive level. In 1997, he left to become CEO and co-owner of 165 drugstores across the Carolinas -- Kerr Drug Inc. -- the state's third-largest drugstore chain.

Temple Sloan started General Parts, Inc. in Raleigh in 1961. Today the private company is the second-largest wholesale distributor in the country and markets parts under the CARQUEST name. Revenues of $1.2 billion are projected for 1997.

Nearly gone by the 20th century, beavers were reintroduced in the state in the 1930s and spread across the counties. They are a gnawing concern to the timber industry, but a boon to Paul Dobbins of Princeton, one of the state's last full-time trappers.

The state's top 100 private companies are ranked, using 1996 revenues. General Parts, Inc., a Raleigh-based auto-parts distributor, replaced Klaussner Furniture Industries, Inc. as the top company. Klaussner had been No. 1 since 1993.

Ed Swartz is president of Sanford's Static Control Components, Inc. and Santronics, Inc. In 1996, Lee County's third-largest employer had sales of $105 million. The company produces products for the electronics industry, including aluminized bags.